Election Candidate Questionnaire: What's the First Thing the New Congress Should Do to Improve the Economy?

Elections are supposed to be about politics and public policy and big issues. And this election has its share of all that, given the stakes.

But elections are also about people -- the kind of people who want to run for federal office. And we at AOL News wanted to get a better sense of just who these people are.

We invited candidates for the House and Senate to answer 10 questions. We got a response rate of about 5 percent. And while the results aren't exactly scientifically valid, they are still pretty interesting. Most questions were fun, but we did ask a couple serious ones. Here's one of them:

In 50 words or less, what's the first thing the new Congress should do to improve the economy?

The No. 1 response was tax cuts (29 percent) -- as in, extending the Bush tax cuts or enacted new ones to spur economic growth.

That was followed by suggestions that the government create a more business-friendly environment (15 percent) and that it get spending and borrowing under control (13 percent).

Source: AOL News Candidate Questionnaire

Interestingly, only 6 percent listed repealing the health reform law as their top priority. (Keep in mind that these aren't exactly scientifically valid results.) Among the other ideas offered up: end outsourcing, reform the filibuster rule, hike taxes, get out of Afghanistan, spend more on infrastructure, reform banking, reform immigration and enact another jobs bill.

Best answer:

"Cut taxes, cut government spending, and get the hell out of the way of capitalism. Is this 50 words yet?"
-- Gerald Hashimoto, Republican candidate for California's 9th Congressional District

Find other survey results here.